Now the elections are over ..What nxt !! IPL or Summer camps for kids .I was going through the local newspaper and see summer camp ads pasted all the over .I thought summer time was time with family and outings but looks like things have changed.

Chennai weather April 2014
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There’s so much to choose from now that parents willing to spend between 1500 to 3,000+ on a workshop, are spoilt for choice

The Hindu : A Little Egret in breeding plumage at the Madras Crocodile Bank is one of many birds that draw birders here on weekends

Birding at the Madras Crocodile Bank (MCB) might sound like an odd pursuit, but birders say it is a richly rewarding experience.

The reptile-cum-amphibian zoo at Vadanemili on East Coast Road has gained a reputation for sheltering a diversity of birds. During a recent visit, wildlife photographer Ramanan Padmanabhan managed to obtain a huge haul of avian images. He was particularly struck by the sizeable colonies of Little Egrets and Night Herons.

“Watching Little Egrets in breeding plumage reminded me of the Simpson Industrial Estate in Sembium of the 1990s, when a slew of bird species, especially egrets, nested there in great numbers,” said Mr. Padmanabhan. He said the MCB is worth a visit, just for its bird life.

Mr. Padmanahan is not alone. A clutch of birders — most of them amateurs — spends weekends studying feathered creatures at MCB, as well at a small area outside.

Holding this small group together is 31-year-old Mittal Gala, programme manager at MCB. Ms. Gala’s bird-watching tours have a sharp focus: accumulating huge volumes of data about birds of the region that could go into a bird mapping exercise.

Ms. Gala has signed up for the Common Bird Monitoring of India (CBMI) programme, an initiative of environmental organisation, Nature Forever Society that encourages citizens to collect and provide bird data.

“With profuse greenery inside the Croc Bank and a scrub area outside, our checklist of birds is impressive on any day,” said Ms. Gala. “The idea is to study these birds on a sustained basis so that a pattern in noticed. This insight will help understand us these birds as well as create bird maps for the region,” she added.

Ms. Gala does not miss her daily birding routine, and, during the weekends, she is joined by the group. She said: “There are four regulars. Others join in and drop out. We have also had foreigners, on temporary stay at the Bank, going on these walks.”

Those interested in birding at MCB, can write in to program.manager.mcbt@gmail.com.

Kamal Jain, group chief financial officer—India, Eros International Media is quoted as saying – “We have already signed the deal for Rajinikanth’s third movie (after Kochadaiyaan and Rana—both under production). This film will be made by KV Anand of Ko fame. The name of the film is yet to be decided.”

Telugu superhit Maryada Ramanna’s Tamil remake was earlier planned to be directed by R Kannan, who is presently helming Settai with UTV Motion Pictures. But the director has opted out of the project and Muthirai’s director, Srikanth has stepped in for him.

The reason behind the change is said to be that PVP Cinemas, the producers and the holders of Maryada Ramanna’s rights, wanted to do the Tamil remake on a first copy basis with Santhanam, who will also be the lead of the film. But Kannan wasn’t comfortable with the plan. Hence, he backed out of the project.

But the Settai director is doing his next film, Alangaram with PVP Cinemas. An official announcement about the film and its cast will be sent out soon